GRAHAM — Sheriff Terry Johnson said this week he is confident that an appeal filed with the Department of Justice will be approved allowing federal drug asset forfeiture proceeds and Technology Program Grant funding to be made available to the county again.

The DOJ notified the county in early November that the drug asset forfeiture proceeds had been frozen, Johnson said. The DOJ’s decision to stop the funds came during the same period that the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services decided to withhold Technology Program Grant cash payments to the county.

“Two weeks after we were notified on the grant money we called to make sure that it would not impact the drug asset forfeitures,” Johnson said. “We were told they would hold that (drug asset forfeiture proceeds) up, too.”

The DOJ sent a letter to Johnson and County Manager Craig Honeycutt on Oct. 31 to inform them that the COPS Technology Program Grant funding would be temporarily withheld because the Sheriff’s Office had failed to comply with the grant’s funding requirements not to discriminate on the basis of race, color or national origin.

The DOJ’s decision was based on a Sept. 18 report issued by the Civil Rights Division that alleged the Sheriff’s Office had unlawfully discriminated against Latinos. Johnson has denied claims that the Sheriff’s Office has discriminated against Latinos.

Honeycutt filed an appeal last month with George Gibmeyer, DOJ lead grant monitoring specialist. Johnson said he believed the Technology Program Grant funding would be restored along with the drug asset forfeiture proceeds.

Honeycutt said on Thursday the county had sent the DOJ more information about its use of the technology grant funding. Honeycutt said the county was requesting that funding be restored for purchase orders issued before the grant was suspended.

“We have been working with them and sending them information to show that purchase orders were issued before their notice,” Honeycutt said.

The COPS Technology Program Grant was for $500,000 with the remaining balance on the grant at $149,286. Of the remainder, about $63,000 has been spent for radio equipment for the communications tower, said Assistant County Manager Bryan Hagood.

Before the grant was suspended, the county had done a purchase order for $77,000 for a building, generator, and wiring at the Gibson Road tower site.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Randy Jones said on Wednesday he believes the DOJ failed to provide the Sheriff’s Office due process before the funds were frozen. The loss of drug asset forfeiture proceeds would have a negative impact on the department, Jones said.

In 2011, the Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with local, state, and federal authorities, seized $4,343,857 in currency, vehicles, and property through drug investigations. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, $291,066 in drug asset forfeiture proceeds was awarded to the Sheriff’s Office in 2011.

Jones said proceeds through the drug asset forfeiture program are used by the Sheriff’s Office to buy equipment for the department and help offset costs. As required by law, the purchases are not allowed to supplant the county budget. The forfeiture proceeds are distributed to law enforcement agencies based on percentage.

CountyAttorneyClyde Albright said on Tuesday he is seeking an explanation from the DOJ on why the drug asset forfeiture funds were frozen.

“They haven’t given us a reason for it,” Albright said.

Several messages were left with the DOJ this week with no response from Gibmeyer or his office.